Animals, Wishes, Snow, and Death
by Dragonfruit112
Summary: Iris is just a lonely farmer living with animals when suddenly a strange horse thats actually ON FIRE appears in her farm. Being the nice person she is, she takes it in and keeps it as an impending blizzard closes in. But, while out, she encounters the famous Death... And he's turning human? Read on as we encounter the weird adventures of Iris and a very confused Death!
1. Chapter 1

**Ok please, no flames or hates, this is my first Darksider's story, and i'll try to do my best. Ideas are always welcome :D I dont have much to say here so... XD lol**

**Dis: i dont own darksiders 2...**

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Running. I'm always running. Whether its metaphorical or not, I seem to always be running.

This time, I was on a long deserted path cutting between a large field of wheat. It just stretched on and on, and I couldn't see anything else around me. I was running quickly along the path, and I could hear something behind me that sounded like a galloping horse. I tried running off the path and into the wheat, but there seemed to be an invisible wall preventing me from doing so.

Suddenly, something grabbed my leg and I tripped. Quickly rolling onto my back, i held back a scream as the thing that was chasing me came into view. I couldn't really see what it was, but I knew it was on a HUGE horse. It was hooded and was holding a large scythe, which it swung mercilessly at me. As soon as it pierced my skin, I snapped awake from the nightmare with a gasp. Looking around frantically, I realized I was in my bed. My dog, Foalen, was lying near my feet looking at me with his bright blue eyes. He was an Australian Shepherd, Husky, wolf mix. His fur was a thick, black color with a chocolate brown muzzle and belly. Not only was he muscularly built, but his head reached above my waist while standing.

Sighing, i stood up and pet his soft head before walking into the small bathroom. My house was pretty small, but cozy. I made the cabin myself when I moved up to where I live now. It snows all winter, fall, and spring, and storms in the summer. The highest temperature it's ever been wa 68. I had no neighbors and lived in the middle of a large field surrounded by dense forests.

The cabin itself had a medium sized living room with a comfortable couch, a coffee table, a small radio, a large fireplace, and large windows lining two walls. It led to a kitchen with a wood stove, a small fridge that was fueled on gas (don't ask me how), and a few random cabinets here and there above the counter. Then there was my bedroom. It was small, with a full sized bed with a feather mattress with matching pillows. The only blanket was a black, green, and red thick quilt. It was tacky but it kept me warm. A dresser sat across the room next to the door leading to the bathroom.

I left the door open as I turned on the shower. Foalen had gotten up from the bed and sat by the door. He always did that. it was like he was protecting me from any intruders. Though that never happened. I was two miles from the small town, no one came here. Quickly I stepped into the shower and quickly got out. I wasn't a fan of water. As i dried off, I went to my dresser and took out todays clothes; Black denim jeans, thick wool socks, and a dark red turtleneck.

"How do i look?" I asked Foalen, turning around to face him. He just looked at me, his tongue rolling out of his mouth and his tail beginning to wag. I shrugged, "I'll take that as a yes?" I walked passed him again and looking into the bathroom mirror. Staring back at me was a skinny, pale, 25 year old woman with ice blue eyes and eboney black hair that reached below her shoulders. That's me, my name is Iris. I grew up in Virginia, USA and ran away when i was 16 and ended up in this snowy wonderland. I have a small farm of my own to take care of, but if I ever needed anything i couldn't provide myself, I went to town.

I walked out into the kitchen, Foalen close behind, and put todays breakfast out on the counter; Green tea and buttered bread. I set some of last night's leftover beef down for Foalen as I heard a deep meow nearby. I smiled as my black Maine-Coone/Himalayan cat, Coda, jumped up onto the counter next to me. His fur was as soft as silk and his eyes were a beautiful shade of amber. He purred as i stroked his head before hopping down next to Foalen and also eating the meat. My smile widened. I raise all my animals from when they were babies, and since they all grow up together, they enjoy each other's company.

I walked out onto the porch with my breakfast and sat in my rocking chair. The morning air was chilly and burned my face, but I'd grown to love it. I'd always loved the cold. The sound of wildlife filtered around me as i ate. I guess you could say i was... 'In tune'... With nature. I had a special connection with all wild things, just not people.

After breakfast, I threw on my black boots, some gloves, my teal toboggan, a long dark red snow jacket, and a black scarf.

Foalen followed me back outside as I went to feed all the animals which included: Dykus the cow (where i got my milk sometimes :D), all eight chickens, and the two sheep, Bosco and Luna. Lastly, I walked into a large fenced in area that took up most of my back yard and pulled out a small whistle. I blew on it once before putting it away and waiting. Foalen sat at my feet as a distant neigh reached our ears. We waited, and suddenly a large figure galloped towards us from behind the stable. I smiled again as my black Canadian horse with a flowing mane and tail came towards us. His name was Ruthad. He slowed to a stop right in front of me and leaned his head down so I could hug him. My animals and I shared something special. We were family.

"Hey boy. You seem happy today," I ran a hand down his muzzle as he softly whinnied. With Foalen on my left, and Ruthad on my right, I walked towards the stables to get some hay down from the raft. It should last him a couple days. As I climbed up the ladder to the loft, Foalen suddenly started barking and ran out of the stables. I rolled my eyes. He probably just saw a bird or something.

As I started shoveling hay down to the floor, I heard sounds coming from the pasture outside.

"Don't maul it to death Foalen!" I called out to the mutt and kept shoveling. A blizzard was coming so I had to last Ruthad a few days. More strange noises came from outside as I set the pitchfork down and came back down. I froze as a weird type of neighing came to my ears. No, that couldn't be Ruthad, he was standing at the stable opening, plus his neigh didn't sound like a dying mule. I gasped as I walked next to the horse and saw what all of it was about. Foalen was chasing a HUGE horse, even bigger than Ruthad. But his was no ordinary horse, no... It was... On fire! Green fire came from it's hooves, nose, and ears in it's dead-looking skin as well as its tail and mane. Now, i believed in supernatural things, but this was pushing it.

"Am I seeing things?" I gasped, looking at Ruthad who had his ears pinned back. Ok, so it wasn't just me. I have seen some crazy shit in my travels, but this was the craziest. But no matter, I needed to help this horse. "Foalen, heel!" I shouted, but the dog ignored me. Rolling my eyes, I tried plan B. "Foalen, round up!" His Australian Shepherd instincts started kicking in, and whenever the strange horse got too far away, he would run around it and bite at its heels so it turned back.

Quickly as I could, I put on Ruthad's blanket and saddle, the blanket being a dark purple, and the saddle matching his satin colored bridle. I grabbed the lasso as I climbed onto him and we were off. Going through the open gate, we galloped towards the horse, which was surprisingly fast, even Foalen was falling behind. But thanks to Ruthad's breed (relating to endurance mostly than speed) we caught up eventually. We kept a steady pace as I threw up the lasso. Hopefully, this would work. I'd only practiced on Ruthad when he was younger. Mentally crossing my fingers, I threw it. I smirked as it fell around the horse's neck, but the smirk faded from my face as the horse suddenly sped up. I stupidly pulled back on the lasso to slow it down, but only to be yanked forward. I gasped in pain as my left arm was yanked out of it's socket. To prevent any more damage, I let go of the rope. The horse and Ruthad kept up the same pace, but I realized that I needed to calm this horse down soon before something bad happened.

"C'mon boy!" I encouraged Ruthad as we galloped faster and ran alongside the horse to my right. I was surprised to find the horse already had a saddle. But dismissing that thought for now, I reached over to try and grab the rope. Once i had it firmly in my hand, I swung over and onto the other horse. Wrong move i guess. As soon as I'd gotten onto him, he skidded to a stop, forcing my face to slam into the back of his head. Dazed, I tried to hold on as it bucked and reared like a wild stallion. Letting out a short scream, I flew off the horse and landed hard on my backside. I coughed and sputtered, the wind knocked out of me, and starred wide eyed as the fiery green horse came charging towards me. But before he could get any closer, Foalen jumped in front of him, snarling and barking viciously. Thankfully the horse stopped, but instead reared up, neighing loudly and swinging his front hooves at the dog. I jumped to my feet and gasped as it caught Foalen on his shoulder. The hours went for another hit before I ran in front of him, standing above the now injured mutt.

"NO!" I screamed, holding my right arm out. "Stop this!" I was mildly surprised when he calmly took a step back, not making any more aggressive actions. We didn't make a move as we starred into each other's eyes. He seemed to stare into my very soul with his strange aqua eyes that contrasted his pale, broken skin. Suddenly something seemed to whisper in my head. 'Despair'. His name...

"Despair," I spoke softly as to not spook him. His torn ears twitched as he seemed to look at me incredulously. I slowly took a step towards him, my arm still stretched out, but stopped when he whinnied and bucked his head. "No, no. It's ok boy, I'm not gonna hurt you.." He still didn't seem to trust me, but he didn't resist as I softly laid a hand on his bone-like muzzle. "I just want to help..." I stroked a hand along his skinny neck and was, yet again, surprised that the fire didn't burn me at all. I took hold of the lasso and started slowly walking towards the stable but Despair didn't budge. He was giving me a look that said, "No one leads me anywhere." Prideful much?

I smiled, "Don't worry, we're just going to the stables so I can patch you up." He seemed to sigh in annoyance but allowed me to walk him back to an empty stall. "Ok, stay here please while i go get the others." I ran back out to Foalen and knelt down to see if he was alright. No broken bones, just a cut and some bruising. "You'll be fine, suck it up," I joked. He looked up at me and pouted pathetically and i rolled my eyes. I stood and clicked my tongue for both Foalen and Ruthad to come. I put Ruthad back in his stall for the time being and took of his saddle and bridle. "Good job Ruthad. I owe you a sugar lump later." He softly whinnied and pressed his head against my chest.

After putting half the hay in Ruthad's stall, I walked into Despair's. He was standing in the far corner glaring at me. I glared right back, though just not as hatefully.

"Don't give me that look. I'm only trying to help. Once i'm done, I'll let you out into the pasture ok?" Slowly I walked up to him and looked him over after taking the lasso off. He was deathly pale and emaciated, the green fire blazing up out of every gash he had. He had no mane or tail, just the same green fire. His head was strange, his muzzle just bone, giving his undead look even more emphasis. His body structure was odd as well. His shoulders were broad and muscular, as well as his rump, but his legs were almost too long and skinny for his body, though his hooves being the size of a Clydesdale's.

I found myself not really caring what this horse was or how it even got here. I'd go into town later and see if anyone's missing one.

I went to take off the saddle but stopped when Despair literally growled at me. "Ok, fine... But don't blame me when you start getting a rash.." Seeing there was nothing I could do about the flaming gashes, I set some hay into his stall and walked back to the house. My left arm was sending shoots of pain through my body and a bleeding cut stung in the freezing air from when my face decided to meet Despair's head. Foalen followed me inside as I sat on the couch.

"This will hurt..." I mumbled to myself as I grabbed my left arm. Foalen whined and covered his face with his paws. With a quiet scream, I shoved my arm back into place with a pop. It still hurt, but i could move it again and the pain was fading. Sighing, I reached over to the radio and flicked it on, listening to the static music as I fell into the sweet clutches of a well deserved nap.


	2. Chapter 2

**Another chapter up! sorry this one's a tad short, and just a warning, im pretty sure the next one is even shorter ;~; dont eat me... Thanks to all who reviewed and followed, though there werent many, thats to be expected :D thanks!**

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The next day was even colder than before, signalling the oncoming blizzard was not far off, and was gonna be big. I had on a similar outfit from yesterday; dark blue denim jeans, a black and red plaid worker's shirt (meaning it was really thick and made for a guy), same boots, same gloves and scarf, and I had my hood up that was from my shirt.

Today I was going into town to do some errands and also see if anyone had lost a horse. Though I doubt anyone had. Despair wasn't an average horse, meaning he didn't have an average rider.

As I saddled up Ruthad and attached the wood sled onto him, I heard Despair huff in frustration. Without looking at him, I smirked, "Don't worry, I'll let you out when I come back. I don't lie." This seemed to satisfy him and I went to gently pat his neck. I frowned as I noticed none of the hay had been eaten and the water hadn't been touched. "Despair, you need to eat, you're starved." He just shook his head and walked to the other side of the stall. "Alright fine, but when I get back, and none of that hay is eaten, I'm not letting you out." He just glared at me in response. Sighing, I climbed up onto Ruthad and we trotted out and down the road, the sled sliding easily behind us. Soon the forest surrounded us on both sides with nothing but path in front and behind us. It always slightly scared me, going through this part, because it reminded me too much of my nightmares, only this time I was with a companion.

Silently, I listened to the sounds of Ruthad's hooves hitting the frozen ground rhythmically, trying to sooth my palpitating heart. Sensing my miniscule fear, the Canadian purebred whinnied softly. I pat his neck, "Don't worry boy, I'm alright." We kept on in silence until the small town was in sight. As we trotted along the side of the street, the locals all smiled and waved. I returned the favor and ignore any tourists passing through that gaped at us. It wasn't every day you saw a woman riding a large sled pulling horse casually going through town.

We came to a stop at a light and waited for it to turn green. Suddenly someone walked up beside us. I smiled down at the old man.

"Hi Mr. Rider. How are you today?" I asked politely. Mr. Rider helped me get settled when I came here. He was my closest friend that wasn't an animal.

He smiled back at me, "I'm doing just fine Iris. You comin' to get provisions for the storm?"

"Yes sir, mostly. I'm also here to report a found horse. Do you know of anyone who could've lost one?"

He shook his head, "No, but I'll ask around for you. What breed is it?"

I thought for a moment, "He seems like a Clydesdale." Really I didn't know what to call Despair, but that seemed like the most reasonable thing.

"Alright. I'll do some investigatin'. Though you know as well as I do we aint the type of people to lose their horses easily. But anyway, if you need anything, just come by and give me a ring!"

The light turned green and we continued onward, waving a goodbye to Mr. Rider and going on until we stopped again at the supermarket. Sliding off Ruthad, I pat his shoulder and walked in.

"Iris! Oh my gosh, I haven't seen you in forever!" Macy squealed. She was the cashier here, and the only employee at the moment. She was from Germany, and I loved her accent. She had pixie cut light brown hair and dark brown eyes. In her 40s and was a little on the chunky side but just about the happiest person you'd ever meet. She happily bounced around the counter and pulled me into a big hug.

"Macy, I can't breath!" I choked.

She squeaked and let go giggling, "Oops! Sorry hun!" She smiled widely and leaned back on the counter. "So what do you need?"

"I'm just here to get some things before the snow comes in."

"Alrighty, just call if you need help!" I nodded and walked into the aisles, grabbing a hand basket on the way. I went through and got some canned meals, powdered milk, a few new lighters, and granola bars for emergencies. I didn't know how long the blizzard was gonna be, so I got extras of everything just in case. When I walked back up to the counter, Macy was musing over a video game she was holding.

"Which one is it this time?" I smirked, setting the now full basket next to the register. Macy rolled her eyes and handed the game to me.

"My little brother told me to get this one. Really, I don't get it! He plays and finishes every single game i get him in a day!" I laughed and looked at the game but froze. On the cover, under the words Darksiders II, was a horse just like Despair. Something weird was definitely going on here. "Hey, Iris, you alright?"

I blinked and silently se the game back down, "Yeah, I... I'm fine..." Quickly she checked out the items and set them in a box. Using my right arm (my left one was still sore) I picked up the box, and, after saying goodbye, I set the box on the sled. I was about to mount Ruthad again when suddenly a small boy came running up to him. Startled by the stranger, the big horse neighed and backed up, his ears pinning back.

"Woah Ruthad. Calm down." I told him. I could tell he was still uncomfortable around the child, but he knew not to hurt him, even if it was an accident.

The mother walked up behind the boy, obviously not being from around here, "Oh, honey! You found a horsey!" The boy reached up to touch Ruthad's neck, but again, the horse backed up.

"Mommy, I want a horse, right now!" The midget whined.

My eyes widened as the woman turned to me, "How much do you want for it?"

My mouth hung open, "Excuse me?" She seriously just said that? The nerve of this chick!

She looked at me like I was stupid, "I said how much do you want for the horse? My son wants one like this one. It won't be easy to find, so why not have one as majestic as this?"

Angrily, I took hold of Ruthad's reins and started leading him away, "Sorry, he's not for sale."

"No, one moment! I'll give you whatever you want for it!" She tried to follow me but I kept walking.

I stopped, "I swear to God, are you always this stupid or are you trying especially hard today? Ruthad is not an 'it' and he's not for sale!"

She glared at me, "Did your parents not teach you any manners?"

I glared back at her, "No, they didn't." Without waiting for an answer, I climbed onto the horse and we quickly went back to the cabin. I led Ruthad back into the stables to be greeted by Despair, who was snorting and pushing up against his stall pathetically.

"Hold your horses, Despair," I joked, obviously the horse didn't get it. I looked into his area and smiled as I saw the hay pile had a small dent in it. "Good boy~" I pat his head and opened the door. Instantly, he ran out into the field. But I started laughing as I saw the hay had been hid in the other corner of the stall. "Smart horse!"

Rolling my eyes, I took the box off the sled and began to walk to the house when something cold landed on my nose.

A snowflake? But... The storm wasn't supposed to happen yet! I looked up and gasped. Dark snow clouds were closing in around us... And fast.


	3. Chapter 3

**Gah, i forgot how many days its been since my last update... .-. that a bad thing? whatever, its been long enough. XD Thanks for all the reviews and follows... etc. they make me happy :3 i love you humans :D sorry for the shortness and the suckiness of these chapters, it'll get better from here on out, promise, k? ideas are still welcome, i need plenty of fluff and random crap happening XD dunno if this is gonna be romance or not :/ if it is, dont expect any sappy, mushy stuff AT ALL. im not too much of a romance person, so if this IS gonna be romance, its not gonna be until near the end or something, and hardly anything noticible :I no lemons either... NOT EVEN REAL ONES! stupid lemons, i eat them too much that its destroying my teeth... :I lemons are evil... every villain is lemons... READ ON MY MINIONS AHAHAHA!**

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I mounted Ruthad again and walked him back out, the wood sled still on him. Snow was coming down harder and already it was up past Ruthad's ankles. Foalen, now with us, jumped through the snow after us as we sped up to a slow gallop and disappeared into the forest. We could hardly see anything around us, our only light being a lantern on each side of Ruthad's saddle that I'd put on before we'd left. The wind had blown my hood off and my hair flew out behind me, clumping with all the snow going in it.

Finally I saw what we'd come out here for. Jumping off the horse, I pushed through the snow and pulled back the tarp to reveal a large wood pile. I picked up as much wood as I could possibly carry at one time and set it on the sled. I kept doing this, trying to get as much wood as I could when suddenly I heard a thud behind me. I froze when Foalen started to growl deeply. Slowly turning around, I screamed as a large figure started stomping towards me. I didn't know who or what it was, but it scared the shit out of me. It walked and stumbled clumsily, like it didn't even know where it was going. My vision flashed white for a moment, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground with a flaring pain in my chest area. I looked back up at the 'guy' and saw him clumsily running towards me again, taking out two scythes that were at his waist.

I flinched and waited to be sliced open but suddenly Ruthad neighed loudly over the deafening winds. He lashed out with his back legs, catching the unaware figure off guard. One of his hooves struck the side of it's head with a sickening crack and it flew sideways into a tree, now unconscious.

Frantically, I put one last pile of wood on the sled before jumping back onto my mount . We were about to leave when I stopped and looked back at the fallen figure. Already the snow was covering him up. He'd die if I left him here. Quickly sliding of the horse again, now with the snow up to his knees and my waist, I trudged through the mushy white stuff to the guy. Not really paying attention, I tried to pick him up but he was too heavy. I tried slinging him onto my back, but that also didn't work. Foalen seemed to snicker beside me and I glared at him.

"Oh just be quiet and help me out you lousy mutt!" I snapped. Finally, I just resorted to dragging him, and with the help of Foalen, we got him slung over Ruthad behind the saddle. My arms were burning from the work, but I still managed to climb back on Ruthad and slowly gallop back towards the house, Foalen leading the way so we didn't get lost.

My face had gone numb by the time we reached the cabin, and I sighed as I knew there was still a lot of work to do. Stopping in front of the door, I hopped off again and put all the wood inside in the living room. Afterwards I dragged the man off Ruthad again and into the living room also, dropping him onto the floor with a 'thump'.

Then I led Ruthad back to the stables and saw Despair standing near the other opening.

"Scared of a little snow, eh?" I teased while I took off all the equipment from Ruthad, earning me a growl from the undead horse. I led Ruthad into his stall and put a cover over him before getting another one for Despair. Though as I approached him, I noticed something a bit off. It took me a moment to realize what it was.

"Despair, where'd your flames go?" The green flames had completely disappeared, showing the insides of the gashes. It slightly grossed me out. Despair just shook his massive head and turned away. Sighing, I pat his muzzle and threw the cover over him, though he seemed uncomfortable with it.

after checking on their food, I closed both stables doors and struggled to do the other chores before getting back to the house. I sighed in relief as I lit some wood in the fireplace and felt the head was over my stinging face. There was a choked groan behind me and I suddenly remembered the guy I dragged in.

After taking off my boots and gloves, I went to the kitchen to grab a frying pan before shooing away Coda and Foalen, who were both growling at him. Why have the frying pan? I wasn't much of a fighter, nor was I brave, and I was clumsy as a one legged clown on a unicycle. If the guy woke up, hitting over the head with a frying pan was my only option, or else I was screwed. Staying a safe distance away, I looked him over and was mildly surprised. This guy looked worse than dead. His skin was paler than mine, almost a shade of blue, and was ice cold (I felt proud that I had gone over and poked him before running back again). Well, he was just in a blizzard with nothing on but boots, gloves that looked like skeletal arms, and armor and garments to cover his lower section. Really he looked like someone you would see in a metal band. I used to listen to that kind of stuff when I was younger. He had shoulder length black hair and a bone/skull like mask, not to mention he was really buff.

He was also injured. Blood was trickling down the mask and covering his eyes, and I knew that wasn't from Ruthad's kick. Something green, glowing, and rock like was embedded in his chest. Plus he looked like he was in a lot of pain.

After deeming him out cold (no pun intended), and after putting the frying pan back, I acted quickly and went to the closet at the side of the room that was also the bookshelf, pulling out the thickest blanket I had. I dragged the dude as close to the fire as possible before draping the blanket over him and setting his head on one of the pillows from my bed. I raised an eyebrow when I remembered this guy had scythes. Where were they? He must've dropped them in the forest. I'd get them later when the blizzard eased up, though perhaps it was better that he didn't have them now in the first place.

I got a wet rag from the kitchen and began to clean the blood from his mask and the wound from where it was coming from, which was surprisingly already healing itself. Out of respect and fear of how he'd react when he awoke, or if he ever did, I didn't take the mask off. I respected privacy. It wasn't something to be trifled with.

Once I was done, I looked at him and thought. This guy was way to big to be human, that was obvious. Again, his upper body was nothing but bulging muscles, with strange markings on his shoulders. I sighed. Something told me this would end badly, I just didn't feel like listening. Human or not, this guy needed help, whether he wanted it or not.

Getting up finally, I set on some boiling water before going back to my room. With Foalen guarding the doorway, since there was no actual door there, I slipped on some thick pajama pants and another turtle neck, along with wool socks that werent soaking wet from the snow that had gotten into my boots. Once done, I took my bed quilt back out to the living room and laid it on the couch before making my green tea with the boiling water. I sat under the quilt and Foalen came over to curl up beside me while Coda came and sat on my lap, kneading the quilt and purring. I wasn't sleeping with a stranger in my house, not even with my two little animalian body guards with me. This guy definitely looked dangerous, so I couldn't be too careful.

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**SURPRISE! :D words down here too! XD give me feedback, i eat it up like my dragonfruits! (am i a cannibal? O.o) I dont even care what kind of feedback; ideas, tell me how you like the story, tell me how your day was, any exotic food you've ever eaten, any phobias, ANYTHING! :D i like getting reviews whatever... review, favorite, and follow :D till next time... i dunno... XP**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ey, guess what?! No, its not candy. No its not that new GTA 5 game that just came out thats giving me headache cuz everyone's rambling about it. No its not the new iphone 5 update. But youre close. Its a STORY update! :D suprise! happy birthday! :P Does anyone actually read any of this? Or am i just having fun with myself? :D If youre reading this answer le questions, (por favor :D): WILL YOU GIVE ME FLUFF IDEAS FOR LE STORY? PLEASE?! (if answer is yes, give them to me. if answer is no, revert to previous question). Do you like music? if so, what kind :3 (Im in a band :P We havent stopped arguing on a name, it's either gonna be Angels of the Apocolypse, Weeping Angels, of Silence Will Kill... give me your opinion on them. :) ) What ever, READ ON! :p thanks for the reviews and follows and favs btw, they make meh happy :D**

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Two days. Two days it snowed. Two days the strange guy didn't move a muscle. Two days I hardly got a blink of sleep. Finally, on the third day, as I was putting a few more logs into the fire and happened to look out the window, I saw the snow had stopped falling.

With one last look at the unmoving man, I threw on my boots and gloves and threw open the door. And I can proudly admit that my excitement got the better of me. Snow barreled into the house. I growled in frustration as I struggled to get out of the snow and push it all back outside again before all the heat left the house. Foalen barked in joy and jumped past me. Coda poked the snow with a paw before scurrying away into my bedroom.

"Coward!" I called after him before closing the door. My porch was only partly covered in the cold white stuff, thanks to the overhang above it, but the same couldn't be said for everywhere else. Still on the porch, I looked around my property. I couldn't see the fences for the horses and cow, snow covered all of it completely. Half the stables was up in snow, making me thankful I'd put all the other animals in their sheds beforehand.

Without really thinking, I took a step off the porch and gasped as I fell straight into the snow, falling over so I landed face first in it and practically sunk. Panicking at the sudden suffocating feeling, I struggled to get my head above the freezing snow, but thanks to its mushiness, I wasn't getting too far. Suddenly I saw big paws digging frantically at the snow above my face. As they kept digging, scratching my face on accident in the process, I coughed and sputtered as air was brought into my lungs again.

Foalen stopped his frantic digging and started licking my scratched up face, his tail wagging like a mad dog. (no pun intended)

"Ok, ok, I'm fine. Down boy," I huffed, wiping the snow off my face and out of my hair. Happily, the mutt jumped off me and back into the deep snow as I got up. Shaking a little from what just happened, I stepped back onto the porch and turned back to the over excited canine rolling around in the slushy substance.

"Foalen," I snapped, causing him to freeze and scramble to a sitting position, snow falling off his fur once he was still. "Go get the snow shovel, please." He just whined and tilted his head, making me sigh. "Snow shovel." I ordered, pointing to the almost buried shed. Foalen barked and jumped back into the snow in that direction. I blinked, "Can't believe that actually worked."

As the dog was getting the shovel, I stepped back inside to get into some appropriate clothes; A large, thick snow jacket, fairly similar snow pants that tucked into my boots while my jacket sleeves were tucked into my gloves, a furred Russian style hat, and my usual scarf. I felt like a penguin, not being able to bend my limbs too far, but I had to stay warm outside regardless.

As I shuffled towards the door again, I looked again at the dude on my floor. I seriously would have thought him dead were it not for the occasional grumble in his unconcious state. I could never detect the slight rise and fall of his chest from breathing, nor had his skin warmed up at all. It was extremely weird, which only brought me further to the conclusion I'd come up with. This had to be Despair's rider. If not, well... Then I just didn't know what to expect.

Sighing, I stepped onto the porch to find Foalen sitting there with the digging shovel at his paws, a comically happy look on his face as his tongue hung out of his mouth, steam billowing up into our faces as we exhaled. I rolled my eyes and pat his head, muffling a 'good boy' as I picked up the shovel. He beamed at me in pride and followed behind me as I dug my way to the shed and got the real snow shovel. Afterwards, I began the strenuous task of shoveling paths in the snow to all my animals.

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Everything seemed to be muffled, as if he were trapped in some sort of thick material, constricting his movements and dulling his senses. A pain he was unfamiliar to burned in his chest, and a dull throb irritated his head.

Where was he? What could have caused this? Why was this happening?

With a sudden pop, Death's senses returned to him. Out of habit and instinct, he instantly bolted up to a sitting position. Everything was quiet, other than a crackling fire beside him. He looked at his surroundings, confused on where he was and how he even got here, but he didn't show it.

He was in some sort of common room, brown leathered seating behind him bordered by wood, along with a wood table in front of it. A cabinet sat off to the side of the room, books stacked in every shelf side to side. Windows bordered two sides of the room, revealing the showy landscape beyond that faded into a dark, thick forest on both sides. A room lead off to the side with more trinkets that didn't seem interesting in the least to Death, so he ignored it for now.

It was then that he looked down at himself. Now that he was sitting up, the thick quilt had fallen to just around his legs. The soft cushion his head had been resting on had fallen back slightly from his sudden movement. He never recalled any of this, how'd he get here?

Sudden movement in the corner of his eye caused him to jump to his feet, both hands reaching for Harvester, only to find nothing. He must've set them somewhere near. The source of the movement caused him to growl in frustration. It was just a cat.

The mammal was sitting at the door leading to outside, glaring at him with dark amber eyes, a color similar to his own, and slitted pupils. It's thick black fur made it seem almost like a shadow. If Death was anyone else it would have slightly unnerved him. The cat just sat there, both animal and Nephilim in a motionless, unblinking stare off until a sound from outside caused Death to look out the window.

The feline seemed to smirk in triumph as Death silently walked to the window and looked out. Small buildings half concealed in the snow were placed here and there, a path leading to each, telling the horseman that there was someone else out there.

Out of the larger building's, across the snowy field, doors suddenly opened on one side. Snow flurried and billowed away as a large black horse with a magnificent main and tail jumped out, the snow reaching to its chest, though it seemed to like it.

After the horse followed a smaller figure. To Death, it looked like a human, but that would be impossible. His whole mission was to bring the Third Kingdom back. Before awakening here, he recalled only the quarrel with the Crowfather about the humans, nothing afterwards.

The human 'figure' seemed to be ushering something else from the stables with no avail. After a one sided argument, the figure stomped back inside. What came out next surprised Death. It was Despair, but the mystic green flames that always accompanied his mount werent present. Something odd was going on, and Death didn't like it one bit.

Once the two horses were outside, the figure began walking back towards the building Death was in, a large wild looking canine following close behind. Ignoring the cat once more, Death crouched behind the bookshelves as best he could, and waited.

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After shoveling snow paths to the animals and feeding them all, Foalen and I made our way back towards the cabin. I heard Ruthad's delighted neigh from his now snow covered pasture, closely followed by Despair's miserable whinny. Apparently, the rotting horse didn't share Ruthad's love for the fluffy white stuff; it took me long enough to force him out of the stables.

Foalen barked happily again as we jumped back onto the porch and shook his thick fur from the clumps of snow. Smiling, I stepped inside and sighed as the warmth from the fire stung my numb cheeks. Foalen went into the kitchen to snack on this morning's leftover breakfast as I slipped off my jacket, gloves, boots, etc, until I was just in what I slept in (same from the beginning of the storm, I hadn't changed).

Coda meowed at my feet and purred as I picked him up. He snuggled into my chest as I walked over and sat on the couch. Foalen padded back into the room and sat by the fire. I stopped stroking Coda's back as I noticed something off... Where was the guy?

My breath caught in my throat as Foalen started growling at something across the room. I slowly turned my head around to see a shadowed figure crouched behind the bookshelf.

I bolted to my feat, Coda scrambling to stand on my shoulders, and faced the guy. He rose to his feet and Foalen started to bark loudly at him. Ignoring the mutt, the dude started walking towards us, towering slightly less than a foot above me. He was really intimidating, and I found myself beginning to shake. I did the only thing that came to my head.

I ran for the gun in my bedroom.

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**MORE WORDS! AHAHAHAHA! oh jeez... I've been drinking too many monsters XD Cuba Lime SUCKS! it tastes horrible D: hehe :3 review (please? O.O) fav and follow :3 tomorrow ill be setting a world record... or at least ill be helping... im gonna be helping set the world record for the most people dressed as pirates in one place at one time... :3 i have a kitty bandana :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**uh... hi? *hides behind giant stuffed sour patch kid (dont judge)* Im sorry! i have a reason for the wait! things were crazy last week, it was spirit week for homecoming and homework was off the hook. ;.; im sowwy... but here you go! i cant seem to find any of my fanfic notebooks :I im getting the feeling that people are hiding them, because i just found this one in the bathroom :/ i dunno... whatever! oh and btw, if i dont update this week, that means im grounded :D yeah, parent teacher conferences are today and tomorrow, and my parents are just oh so excited to go, and when they talk to my science teacher and possibly my math teacher, they might be fed lies (like always) and POOF! ill be off the internet for awhile... eh, one can dream? Thanks for the reviews! i love reading them :D and im sorry i cant find your name, my gmail isnt letting me do stuff, but whoever said they like bvb bands and stuff like that I LOVE YOU! *hugs to death* all the other reviews were great and i love reading them :) glad you an enjoy this! read on!**

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Death was silent as the humanoid figure strode into the house with the brown and black dog. As it slid off it's outer clothing layers, the horseman saw it was female. He still didn't show his confusion. Humans were gone, this must be some race similar in from that he didn't know about, though that was rare.

The cat at the female's feet meowed, and was picked up by her much like one would an infant. The woman smiled and sat on the couch, just enjoying the silence. The horseman almost smirked. The woman didn't seem too observant, having walked right past the spot he'd been laying on previously. But as the dog walked happily back into the room, the horseman stiffened as it turned back to him.

Instantly it's tail was up and it's ears were pointed, an obvious sign of aggression in this situation. Death clearly knew what the canine was saying. There was an intruder on his territory, and he didn't like it. The humanoid woman sprang to her feet to face Death when the dog started snarling, the cat springing from her arms and onto her shoulder. Death rose slowly, observing the appearance of the female. Everything about her seemed human. She was slightly shorter than himself, and skinny as a stick with some muscle. Her black, tangled hair contrasted her white-as-a-sheet skin greatly. Scabbing scratches marred her face from something possibly earlier in the day, being red around the edges from the cold outside.

What astonished Death most was her eyes. They were almost comical, being very wide, with long lashes, and a blue that even Death himself could hardly look at without being lost in it's depths.

But Death ignored that. Obviously she wasn't beautiful, not in the slightest. Not even the angel women impressed Death. Not even any of the female Nephilim did back when the race was still alive. (Honestly none looked that appealing anyway) The only Death was concerned with, was where he was, and how to get to the tree of life, his original goal.

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I sprung forward with as much force as I could around the couch and towards the kitchen, dislodging Coda from my shoulder in the process. Though it was in vain, for the now awake guy must've expected me to do this, and lunged after me with an arm outstretched at such a speed it made me stumble. But Foalen was going to have none of that. With a snarling bark, the mutt jumped forward and viciously sunk his teeth into the guy's outstretched arm.

Not even a grunt escaped from his hidden mouth from the attack, and I wasn't about to stick around to hear one. I sprinted past the kitchen and down the hallway into my room. Snarls and loud barks, as well as numerous thumps and crashes emanated from the living room, and I suddenly felt worried for Foalen, but he could take care of his self.

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Death reached for the woman as she tried running past him into the other room, only for her dog to go into attack mode and begin mauling his arm. The woman disappeared and Death growled, flinging the canine away as if he was nothing but an annoying bug. But the dog was back on him, now ripping at his shoulder, before Death could go after the woman.

They proceeded to wrestle and beat the other down, trying to knock the other away and make them run off with their tails between their legs, so to speak. Of course, it was obvious who would win.

Death struck out with his legs, catching the dog in his jaw and dazing him long enough for the horseman to jump up, grab the dog's head, slam it on the floor to knock it out, and run down the hall before the dog had even collapsed and realized what happened.

As soon as he burst into the back room, he froze as there was a loud 'click' behind him, in the doorway. He turned to come face to face with the double barrel of a shotgun, slightly shaking in the female's hands. She looked scared to death. Death took a step towards her but she raised the gun closer to his head, and he stopped.

"Don't move!" She ordered, her voice cracking. Death could easily overpower her, even with his eyes closed and hands behind his back, but even a shot from a gun as weak as this would set him back a few seconds. Seconds he couldn't afford to lose.

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I was scared beyond reason. Never before had there been a dangerous stranger in my house. How did I not see this coming? I'm so stupid! Oh well, no dwelling on the past, that causes wrinkles doesn't it? I couldn't stop my hands from shaking as the gun was pointed at the guy's face. We stood there motionless before he huffed.

"Well?" I could imagine him raising an eyebrow.

"W-well what?" I squeaked. Granted, I bet I didn't seem intimidating at all, even if I was holding a gun.

The man held his arms out, "Well, aren't you going to shoot me?"

I blinked in confusion, "Huh? What are you ta-"

He cut me off, his voice still deathly calm, "Are you not prepared to shoot a foe that could kill you in the blink of an eye? That sort of defeats the purpose of wielding a gun, doesn't it?"

I managed enough bravery to glare at him, "S-shut up! I'll be asking the questions here!"

He seemed to take amusement in my false bravery, "By all means, ask away."

I thought of a question for a while. What COULD I ask? I didn't know what would make him angry or not, I wasn't the integrator type!

I stumbled over my words, "Um... Who are you?"

"You will call me Death," Ok, odd name, but still a name. So far so good, I'd gotten more info than I'd hoped to get.

"Ok... Death... Where are you from?" This time I was met with silence, not a sound. "Ok, nevermind... How'd you get here?"

He shrugged, "Took a wrong turn."

My eyebrows furrowed, "From where? You mean like... Dimensions, or from a city?"

"Worlds would be a better term."

"Ha, you expect me to believe that?!"

I guess I should've been more polite, for he seemed to be getting annoyed, "Enough of this, where am I? What world is this?"

I snorted, "This is Earth. What are you, an alien?"

His voice grew cold, "Do not lie to me woman." My finger trembled on the trigger.

"I-I'm not lying. I don't lie! What exactly would I gain from lying to you? This is Earth!"

"The third kingdom is extinct, my whole mission, the entire reason I somehow appeared here, was to bring the blasted humans back. And you mean to tell me they already somehow are?"

"I'm here aren't I? And hang on just a minute, I still have one more question!"

"Hurry up and ask it then, I'm losing my patience," He growled.

"Are you Despair's rider?" I was surprised at the steadiness of my voice.

Death's eyes narrowed dangerously, "How did you know my horse's name?"

"He told me. Well, at least I'm pretty sure he did. Something told me. Anyway I'm gonna take that as a yes so-"

"Enough! You talk too much," Death was glaring at me. Suddenly he took a step towards me and I freaked. I slipped backwards and stumbled, accidently pulling the trigger and shooting him in the chest.

He grunted faintly, taking a step back and glaring at me. I didn't waste time dropping the gun and sprinting as fast as I could outside and towards the stables. I heard the door slam behind me and knew he wasn't far behind. I jumped the fence and blew on Ruthad's whistle, getting a response almost immediately. My feet were already numb from having no shoes, but I was thankful that the horses had already run through the snow, giving me a path.

As Ruthad galloped towards me, I jumped and swung around him so I landed on his back. With a slight thrill from riding bareback, I directed Ruthad to the road towards the town and we were gone. I figured that if I got to town then I could somehow find help.

Ruthad had a little trouble running through the untouched snow on the road, but we were still going quickly. suddenly a pale blur raced past us and we skidded to a stop. Death rode upon Despair, the bullet wound gone.

I watched, frozen, as he raised his hands and I heard a distant rumbling. Suddenly something burst from the trees and flew into Death's hands. They were his scythes.

Afraid for both my life and Ruthad's now, I quickly steered him towards the forest, only to be blocked again by Despair. I let Ruthad do his own thing and he ran quickly down the snowy road, Despair and Death close behind. As we ran, a sudden sharp pain his the back of my head and I flew off my mount, sinking into the snow with just my head staying above it. (just my luck, right?)

Ignoring the pain, I stumbled to my feet but froze as Despair reared in front of me, and Death lifted his scythes to strike. The scene took me back to my most recent nightmare, and I screamed before everything went black.

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**I hope im not making Death too ooc. :I i dunno, thats up to you guys. reviews are always welcome, no matter what! i take anything :D and i mean aaaannnyyyythiiiinggg *wink wink* XD review, follow, fav-**

**bai!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey sup... humans? (should i make a name for all you people? i dunno, i could call you pansies or something :3 thats a name for my school project thing and i think it seems pretty manly XD) Anyway, guess what? (you) whaaat =u= *cough* ANOTHER CHAPTER! :D and no, this doesnt mean im not grounded. i am :/ But i pleaded with my dad to let me upload this. Hey, it's not my fault im too apathetic to do homework and that the teachers love to lie to student's parents... Anyway SHORT CHAPTER ALERT! thanks so much everyone for the reviews! ill take the time now to answer shtuff so, bear with meh :3 MMiladinova: Well here you go :P chapter~ aaand *hugs to death* i love nightwish ;~; TheYoungVolcano: Thanks! glad you lurv it :D twonormalgirlsandaiportal: mmm yes... he is quite scary... but awefully hot OuO Strange Demise: Thanks ^.^ love your name btw Yeah! Dandy99: hehe, sorry, ill update soon i swear, once im not grounded anymore... hehe Dandy... Dandyman... that's my new name for you :D Mythicalenchant: Thanks so much! glad i could get Death's personality down, im constantly worrying that im making him too ooc. :) READ MINIONS READ! (hmm... minions?)**

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When I awoke, I was completely disoriented. I didn't know where I was, which way was up, why it was so cold, or what was licking my face. Wait... What?

My eyes flew open to see that I was in my living room, almost completely bathed in darkness. I was lying on my couch, one arm hanging off, and Foalen was sprawled out on top of me. Once he saw I was awake, his tail started wagging and he resumed slobbering all over my face.

"Foalen... Get off," I grumbled, my breath billowing into a cloud in front of my nose. The mutt whined and slid off me, sitting by the table as I sat up. The house was freezing, and as soon as Foalen's shared heat left me, I started shivering. The fire was out, must've gone out during the time I was passed out.

Slowly getting up and trying to ignore the throbbing in my head, I stumbled to the fireplace and sat on my knees. The blanket from the guy was still there, and as I set more wood into the fireplace, I draped it over my shoulders. It smelled like dirt and cold.(1) As the fire suddenly came to life, I shuddered and sighed. The house was quiet, so the guy must've left after putting me back here. Well, wasn't that nice.

I stood and walked over to the window. It was a full moon tonight, and the light glistened and reflected off the snow, giving everything an eery glow to it. I could see the large shadowed barn in the distance, and I strained my eyes to see if Ruthad was anywhere to be seen. Weariness rose in my chest as I imagined him still standing out in the forest from where I left him until I saw his large figure striding around in the fenced in pasture, just enjoying the night. Thank God.

I walked back to the fireplace as the fire grew and sat down sighing. Foalen silently walked over and sat beside me, resting his head on my shoulder and huffed. I pat his head gently, slightly looking over the swollen area behind his ear. The swelling wasn't too bad, and there was some dried blood around it. Nothing too bad. I kissed him lightly. He was just a good little bodyguard. I heard the soft footfalls of Coada as he walked next to me on my other side. I smiled as he meowed quietly, crawling into my lap and curling up.

"You're so spoiled, you know that?" I chuckled, receiving a grumbling meow in response. I just rolled my eyes and stroked his fur. We sat there in silence while gazing into the fire until a sound snapped us from our comforting trance. Footsteps came from down the hall, and I was to frozen with fear to turn around and see who's they were. As they grew louder I could hear my heartbeat in my ears and feel my breath quicken.

They stopped right behind us, and a faint green glow was emitting from whatever it was, lightening up the dark room along with the , much to the animal's protest, I was picked up by the front of my shirt and came face to face with an angry looking Death. Though, I was just assuming. All I could see where his eyes, and even then they didn't show much. Did he ever take off this skull-mask thing? I could only imagine what his face looked like. Judging by his deep voice, I assumed it was pretty hot. God dammit, my life could be at risk right now, I shouldn't be fangirling over a stranger! (A/N: hehehe... Shit happens, get over it)

Both Coda and Foalen growled lightly, but Foalen knew not to quarrel with Death again unless he literally tried to kill me, and Coda was just too lazy for that.

"As touching as this scene is, I'm growing impatient, which, mind you, is rare. I need answers, and I will get them," He snarled.

A flare of anger and defiance made itself known as I glared hatefully at him, "You come into MY home after I saved both you AND your horse from freezing to death, you hurt my dog, scare me shitless, knock me out then sneak up on me, and you expect me to tell you anything?! Yeah right, good fucking chance!" My voice rose with every word until I was shouting. I guess that was the wrong thing to do. Normally I was ready to stare death in the face, but I never meant to take it literally.

Death's eyes blazed a brighter orange and his grip tightened around my shirt, "You are a fool. Raising your voice in the position you're in?" He grabbed one of his scythes from his waist and held it up to my neck. "Now, I will not tell you again, I need answers. I'm wasting time and I have a very tight schedule." The scythe got closer to my neck and Foalen growled louder.

"W-wait!" I pleaded, trying to lean away from the sharp edge. "Sorry I yelled, I tell you... Whatever it is you want to know!" Ok, sorry, but I was done pretending to be brave. I'm a wuss, get over it. I was dropped back onto the floor with an undignified 'OMFF!' and landed on my backside, looking up at Death as he crossed his arms. Grumbling, I sat on the couch. "Alright, what do you want to know?"

"Where am I? And do not bother lying to me"

"I wasn't lying the first time. You're on Earth, just outside the small town of Anchorsville."

"Impossible, the Third Kingdom is gone, every world knows it."

I shrugged, "Maybe where you're from, it is, but not here."

His eyes narrowed, "What're you saying?"

"I'm saying, that maybe you somehow jumped into a different 'dimension'. Sure, to you there are multiple worlds, but getting sucked into an alternate dimension is a familiar fiction subject here. It's always in movies and I used to see it all the time when I was younger and read fanfictions online. I believe it's possible, it's the only explanation as to why you're here." He was silent, his gaze lowered to the floor as he thought. I fought the urge to say 'You just got served.' and instead left him to whatever he was contemplating. Quietly walking into the kitchen, the blanket still around my shoulders, I put some water onto the stove and looked into the fridge, still keeping one eye on him. I was a little low on food, I'd have to go hunting later tomorrow.

As I was getting the tea from it's cabinet, I heard death walk into the kitchen and spun around to face him, worried that he might attack me or something. But he just stood here, apparently still thinking as he watched me.

"Uh... Do you drink tea?" I asked, coughing. I was feeling slightly comfortable as long as he wasn't threatening me, but I was still ready for a surprise. He was a stranger after all.

"I do not need human sustenance..."

I sniffed, "Suit yourself. If you do ever get hungry you're gonna need something. Up here you need to stay bulky to stay warm."

"Then you're doing an excellent job of that," He scoffed, his words coated in sarcasm.

I sent him a small glare, "I'm big enough." With a huff, I took the medical kit from a different cabinet, "Um.. You're still bleeding, so I'm gonna have to stitch it up."

"I do not bleed," He growled 'matter-of-factly', with a hint of defensiveness.

I deadpanned, "You think I'm playing pretend dress up princess? Why would I just randomly say out of the blue that you're bleeding if you're not?" I motioned to his arm. I was surprised to see the injuries had healed themselves from when Foalen went berserk, except one fairly bad gash on his lower arm. Death seemed astonished to find the red, almost black-ish blue(2) liquid coming from the wound, which made me wonder. What was this guy?

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**you liiike it? :3 plots being formed... hehehehehehe :P Also, i'd like to point out on how fast y'all review... I LOVE IT! *hugs all of you***

**(1): Cold does have a smell. It's a unique smell, and personally i like it. It clears out the nostrils. :P**

**(2): I dunno what blood to make Death's... :/ he doesnt have any so i just have to make something up. sound good?**

**Anyway, i gotta go. mother figure is getting pissy :3 wish me luck in enduring this grounding week XD **


	7. Chapter 7

**heeeyyyy! guess what, im not grounded anymore OuO quick right? yeah XD I am happy, Im absolutely LOVING the weather here in VA, it's cloudy and its cold :) i love it! Dandy99: SUP DANDYMAN! and yes, i have read both the Abomination Vault and Death's Door. I LOVE them! The A. Vault is so amazing. It's very detailed and though it's serious alot, its hilarious at times! Death is so sarcastic in the book it makes me laugh so much XD War is also pretty epic, he's not TOO serious all the time, and it fits him perfectly :D Death's door, though a comic, i wish was a tad longer, but I still love it.. It gives a little insite on what things were like before even the A. Vault. You should read both, they're pretty flippin amazing :P Darkis Shadow: ha, youre very to the point and quaint, i like it XD i will write more dont worry :P Mythicalenchant: thank you ^_^ oh, my friend is OBSESSED with wattpad, but sadly i dont have an accound ;~; but i really wanna read your story now, so i might make one XD**

**READ! AHAHAHA! (edit: Hey my fanfiction is messing up, so last chapter kept repeating itself, or atleast from what i can see O.o if it's not, and that's only my computer being shtupid~ then just bear with me and ignore this OuO**

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I clutched my growling stomach as I looking into the fridge. Out of food competently. Even the granola bars were gone. I admit, I ate them too quickly. They were so addicting though... Oh well, I'd go shopping after hunting. I need to talk to Macy anyway about that game she got her brother. This couldn't just be a coincidence. But if it was, then why me? Why would I be the the one to find these two strangers and not someone else? I guess that would just be something I'll never know.

Settling with just some chamomile tea, (as you've probably noticed, I'm addicted to tea. Sometimes i feel like a british person, no offense for being stereotypical), I wrapped my hands around the hot mug and walked to one of the many windows looking out towards the stables. All my animals were out and about jumping in the snow, except Dykus. Never before had i met such a stubborn, prissy cow. She was picky about literally everything, even how she slept, and that's why I love her.

I saw Death just outside the fences with Despair. He was stroking his horse's neck, and I can only assume he was wondering why his horse wasn't on fire Like normal. They seemed pretty happy to be reunited, which was good. You never separate a horse from their rider for too long, it was torture for both of them.

A low 'gruff' sounded beside me and I gently pat Foalen's head as he came to sit at my feet. I dunno what I'd do without all my animals, they saved my life.

The two of us watched as Death mounted the undead horse. He looked once back towards me before disappearing into the forest. Figuring that was the closest thing he'd ever give to a 'thank you', I sighed.

"Good luck. Hope you find whatever you're looking for." I was mildly surprised last night when he hadn't left, but came to the conclusion that he supposed it wasn't wise to travel in unfamiliar territory in the dead of night. I guess that was a good decision, but it didn't make me feel any better. I hardly got a blink of sleep knowing he could slit my throat in the middle of the night. Call me paranoid but don't expect me to trust a stranger after five hours.

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Now fully dressed in stark white snow overalls and brown gloves, hat, and boots (to blend in. Sadly, I don't own one of those gilly suits and camo obviously wouldn't work at the moment), I walked out to the stables with Foalen padding happily beside me. I envied his positiveness. I was still sore from yesterday and I was tired, making me cranky and untalkative.

With a grunt, I opened the stable doors just as Ruthad trotted in from the other side. He snorted and rubbed his head against my chest in a greeting and I ruffled his mane.

"Time to go hunting boy. Hope you had your fun, we've got a busy day." He bucked his head in response and watched as I hooked up the sled to him again after putting on his saddle and bridle. After he was set and ready to go, I led both him and Foalen to an old looking shed across the yard. It took some effort but I shoved the doors open to reveal a whole arsenal of gardening tools. I stepped over a shovel and a rack and picked up something under an old looking blue blanket. Throwing off the blanket, I revealed a smooth, black colored wooden style crossbow. It wasn't too big or too small. In cursive purple letters on the side of the handle were the words 'To Jonas'. This was going to be my older brother's 20th birthday present but I'd taken it when i had left. I felt bad at first but got over it soon. It came in handy. Guns were for protection, not hunting. I won't eat anything that's had a bullet in it's head.

Stringing the crossbow and quiver full of arrows over my shoulders, I walked back out and mounted Ruthad. He huffed and shifted his weight before I directed him towards the forest. As we passed, I happened to glance to my left and saw Despair's massive hoof prints leading into the dense trees. With a grimace, I turned Ruthad to the right and instead went the other direction into the woods. I'd rather not encounter Death a second time, he might just live up to his name. When we were far enough in the forest, I slid of the horse and walked a bit of ways before sitting down in a hill of snow, and after preparing my crossbow, sat completely still.

Foalen sat beside me, and if my sight didn't work, he was my ticket for a kill. We sat in silence, absolutely still for what seemed like half an hour. The only sounds were the birds above calling to each other, the occasional jingle from Ruthad's equipment when he shook the snow out of his mane, and the cracking of settling snow. But suddenly, there it was. I didn't see it at first, but I saw Foalen's ears fly up and the fur on his back rise slightly.

My grip on the weapon tightened as I saw the lumbering figure of a black bear. I was confused at first. Two things were wrong with this. Bears don't come up here normally, but I saw them that was during the summer. This bear should be in hibernation.

Suddenly, I noticed it's sluggish movement and slumped figure. This bear was woken up from it's winter sleep.

I swallowed and repositioned the crossbow. I took aim, holding my breath and willing my heart to stop beating erratically and slow down. My hands stopped their light shaking and were still. Ok, so there were only a couple things I was good at. Taking care of myself and animals, making food, being polite on occasion.. And hunting.

I took the shot and the bear didn't know what hit it as the arrow lodged itself in the animal's head, right in his left eye. It fell with a dull thump and I walked over to it. Foalen sniffed it over while i pulled out the arrow and wiped it off, silently thanking it for it's life. The bear was pretty big and would feed me for maybe five days, but it wouldn't hurt to get a few deer maybe.

Foalen whined and made a guttural noise and I looked where he was sniffing and gasped. From it's back leg to it's rump was a deep bleeding gash. It was a pristeen, clean cut that was the same width through all of it but one part was deeper than the other part. Neither a gun nor any other hunting utensil could or would do that. I mentally thanked my brother for being obsessed with weapons and passing some of his knowledge to me. From what I saw, I knew this was caused by a scythe.

Stupid Death, probably freaked out and attacked a hibernating bear on accident. Has he never seen a bear before or something? Whatever, it was out of it's misery now.

Putting the arrow back in the quiver, I dragged the heavy beast and let it lie on the sled. The waiting process repeated itself twice, getting myself two more deer, both bucks. My lucky day right?

It didn't take long to get back to the house and skin the animals, putting their pelts on a rack with the fire to dry, putting the meat in the fridge for later, then finally putting the bones to the side of one counter so Foalen had a treat. Quickly, I changed into some thick black jeans, a grey turtleneck, purple snow jacket, my regular scarf, boots, and jacket, and kept on the white hat. I may not live a very rich life, but that didn't mean I lost my sense of fashion.

Afterwards, I walked back out and was greeted by Foalen jumping up on his hind legs randomly and leaning on me, his tail wagging furiously. I smirked and roughly ruffled his fur playfully and hissed his nose. We broke apart and I jumped back onto Ruthad, patting his neck too so he wouldn't feel left out. With my mood restored, we started on our journey into town.

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**Dont worry it's not over yet :3 review, fav, and follow, love y'aaaallll :3 (edit: again, sorry if this is a repeat, but this is confusing and just posting this again will make me feel better. :D yay)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sup minions! been awhile (kinda?) :P Sorry about last chapter's screw up, something went wacky on my computer (its cursed) and it copied the chapter before it, but im pretty sure i got it fixed :3 Hopefully! Ok, so only review matters :P Strange Demise: Indeed, death did get served XD dont worry i wont kill you... yet... MWAHAHAHAHAHA *cough* The Young Volcano O.o: dunno what youre laughing about but glad i could make you laugh anyway :D Decepticon Queen: :D Dandyman: yes, please do get the book, its one of my favorite novels :) its really amazing. And same XD its getting even colder here in Virginia and no snow Darkis Shadow: I loved that review, it was really beautiful :D I might even use that, if you dont mind. Twonormalgirlsandaiportal: Indeed, it makes me laugh too thinking about it XD i might even do a comic strip of it :P Mythicalenchant: Youre in Virginia too *gasp* ohmahgawd twinsies XD And yes, i have a reason for that whole thing, and it will be made clear in the next chapter :P **

**Anyway, read on! I typed this up really fast, so my bad for any mistakes, my hands are numb and covered in hummus :I (dont ask) and my butts numb so... **

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"I'm surprised to see you back, hun," Macy mumbled. "Did the storm deplete all your food?" She was leaning against the counter, spinning a pencil in her hand boredly.

I set the items I'd selected on the counter in front of her, consisting of canned veggies, more dry milk, a few sets of AA batteries, and some candy bars for comfort foods. Not to be awkwardly personal, but it was that certain bitchy time of the month and I'd indulge myself on dark chocolate if I wanted to or not. Foalen was happily sitting next to me, watching what he could from his spot below the counter.

I shrugged, "Yeah, somewhat. These past couple days have been pretty stressful."

She started checking out the items one by one, putting them in a box, "Stressful, huh? Did an animal die?"

Shaking my head, I reached down absentmindedly and ruffled Foalen's fur, "No, I just had some unexpected company is all."

Macy looked at me in alarm, "What do you mean? Did somebody break into your house?!"

I nervously laughed and waved my hand dismissively, "No, no! Nothing like that! I found a lost... tourist and took them in during the storm is all." Hopefully she'd buy my lie. Well, it wasn't a total lie. I'm pretty sure Death wasn't a tourist, but I did find him lost.

Macy still eyed me warily, "You need to be very careful, Iris. Some of the locals who live in the forests to the East keep spotting a strange person around the edges of their property. They're calling it the Grim Reaper."

I fought the urge to groan. Leave it to Death to scare people shitless with his presence. I just hope he doesn't get arrested.

I picked up the box now full of groceries and smiled warmly at the German cashier, "Thanks for the concern, but I think I'll be perfectly fine. I have my animals to protect me." Foalen barked and his tail wagged even harder and I rolled my eyes. The mutt doesn't even know what we're talking about and he's overjoyed to be talked about. I walked towards the door but stopped when I remembered the main reason I even came down to the town in the first place. "Hey, Macy, what was the name of that game you sent your brother?"

She looked up in thought for a while, placing the eraser of the pencil to her lower lip, Darksiders 2. Why?"

"Just curious is all," With another goodbye, I walked out and put the box on the sled. Ruthad snorted and shifted his weight, shaking the little snow flakes out of his mane from the little snow flurries occurring around us. I pat his muscular neck, "Don't worry boy, we just need to stop off at the cleaners and then we're done." I hauled myself onto his saddle and waited for Foalen to get comfortable back on the sled and we made our way down the street, farther into town.

We paused to let some cars drive by before stopping again in front of the cleaners. About once a month I had to come down here and wash all my clothes since I didn't have a washer or dryer back home. I wasn't complaining. I saw no harm in having to come down here for actual important reasons. (Meaning that I'd rather not have dead stiff clothes all the time) I tied Ruthad's reins to a light post before picking up my clothes basket and walking in. It was quiet and smelled like cotton scented laundry detergent.

I silently walked over to an empty washer and put my quarters in before sorting out the dark clothes from the lights. I only knew how to do laundry from watching my mother back when I was a teen. When I first came her I was so nervous that I'd mess up that I had to get help from some random lady.

I shut the door and watched the clothes swirl around, Foalen curling up around my feet to doze until they were done. My life was boring, but I guess I prefered it that way. Not long ago I had actually wished for some excitement, but soon got over it. This was the life I ran away for, no turning back. Besides, I didn't NEED any extra excitement. It gives you wrinkles. My wish also proved that wishing didn't work anyway, even if you *cue disney music* wish upon a shooting star.

A thought suddenly invaded my mind. Maybe Death's sudden visit was my excitement? That would explain a lot. But still, only about a weeks worth of excitement? Not much fun if you ask me. And if it was my wish that brought Death here, then that would make me feel sort of guilty. He was on some sort of mission right?

I drew in a sharp breath when a had suddenly squeezed my shoulder, disrupting me from my thoughts, but I calmed down when I saw it was just Ms. Greene, an old lady who owned the small jewelry shop down the street. She smiled at me and I returned the favor.

"Hello, Ms. Greene. How are you today?"

"Oh, I'm perfectly fine today. And how be you?"

The smile I kept up was beginning to hurt my face, "Just the same. I came down to wash my clothes today, and I reckon they'll be done some time soon."

She nodded, "Then I won't keep you long. Here, before you go." She handed me a picnic basket before I knew what was going on. It was pretty heavy, making me wonder what the hell was in it. Ms. Greene pat my arm, "For your troubles."

I raised an eyebrow at her, "M-my troubles? Heh, Ms. Greene, nothing's wrong, I can't take this."

"Nonsense. Surely you've heard about the stranger roaming around the woods. The sheriff can't seem to track him. You should be extra careful."

I sighed, having heard that enough today, but thanked her anyway. The washer beeped and, after a goodbye to the old woman, put the bucket of clothes back on the sled as well as the basket and untied Ruthad. I was just about to mount him until I gasped at a sudden sting on my hand. I pulled the appendage away from his saddle and rubbed it, glaring at the random crow perched on the horn of the horse's saddle.

"You pecked me!" I barked at the bird, and surprisingly the feathered nuisance cawed back in a way that said, 'so what?'. I growled and shoved it away before jumping up and onto Ruthad. The crow cawed above us before coming back to land behind the saddle. I glared and shooed it off again, "No free rides since you pecked me for no reason." The black bird squawked before landing on Foalen's back, the mutt lazily lying next to the warm bucket of recently dried clothes.

Rolling my eyes, I steered Ruthad back towards the house and we were on our way.

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I sat on my bed while I folded the clothes, Coda lying on the recently folded pile, fast asleep, Foalen asleep at my feet, and the crow comfortably perched on the untouched picnic basket on my bedside table.

Much to my annoyance, the little demon had followed me inside and kept pecking at my hands whenever I tried to throw him out. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. I'd probably feel bad after throwing him out and let him come right back in. He was a beautiful crow, come to think of it. His eyes were a beautiful greenish yellow collow and his ruffled feathers were silky soft. It'd be a shame if a bird as pretty as him would freeze out there.

I sighed and finished the clothes, setting a still sleeping Coda to the side before putting the garments away. It was now dark outside, probably around 10 o'clock, and even with the warmth from the fire filtering through the house, it was still cold. Tonight was gonna be harsh, and I was glad I'd put the animals back in their barns.

I picked up the basket, trying not to disturb the crow in fear that it might peck my eyes out, and walked into the living room. Sitting on the cough, I opened the wicker flaps and my eyebrows shot up. Ok, I think Ms. Greene went a little overboard.

Carefully, I took out all that was in there; A bottle of red wine (Pinot Noir to be specific for you fellow wine lovers), about six differently flavored dark chocolate bars, a fancy looking sapphire necklace that looked extremely familiar, a few bags of assorted teas and hot chocolate bags, a few biscuits for Coda and Foalen, a book full of Edgar Allen Poe's greatest works (which, mind you, I spent a good hour fangirling over), and... an old picture taken back when I first got here of me with most of the town locals. There was a note with it too, and it took me a while to read through Ms. Greene's fancy old person writing. It read:

'Dear Iris.

You've been here now for about seven or eight years now. Though you don't show yourself much, you're still part of this town's family now. I don't exactly know what came over me, but I felt that I just needed to give you a little something for your troubles. I know you can take care of yourself and give that 'ole stranger roaming around a good whoopin' he'll never forget, but still be careful. This picture here I've been saving for something special. I believe you'll know what to do with it. A young lad came by the shop early this morning and gave me a necklace to give you. He didn't give his name and left quickly. He did give me his address though. My hopes are up that you'll pop up some time today, but if not, oh well.

With care,

Linda Greene'

My hands were shaking slightly as I drug my eyes down to the address at the bottom of the note and I froze. I knew that address. It was my brother's.

Suddenly there was the loudest knock on the door I've ever heard, and the crow went absolutely berserk.

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**I feel like this chapter is... Meh... I dunno, its just really here for informational shtuff... Sorry if it was boring, its about to get spicy :3 *coughs* MY BUTTS STILL NUMB! *dies* **

***rises back up as a ghost* i feel like i should make things more... i dunno... by making stuff go on down here too :P (thats what she said) So from now on, I'll have a 'question of the week'**

**This week's question: Favorite food, and why? **

**Anyway, gotta go and walk around before my butt falls off :P later! Review, Follow, and Fav! Bye~**


	9. Chapter 9

**SUUUUUP! been awhile, again. Yeah, sorry for not updating. I actually had this story written since last Wednesday but I procrastinated XD Also my cat died :/ We grew up together, litterally, we got him when i was 1. XD Stupid cars... AND IT WAS ON NATIONAL CAT DAY TOO! :I *punches wall* grr... anyway, to review matters :3 DecepticonQueen: Oh ok, :) Thanks! And yeah, sorry I cant update daily like I did with one of my other stories, but, sadly, Im alot busier these days than I was back then. I'll try my hardest to update sooner, but just be glad im not like some of the others that wait like... a month XD AngelAbigail: Thanks! :D Here's your update, and ill try to make my chapters longer but until later, this is about as much as your going to get. I try to make my chapters between 1700 and 4000 words, and so far im making it happen :P Darkis Shadow: There's my awesome review :D I love it XD Hopefully Death wont take his anger out on Iris just yet... :D MWAHAHAA *cough* Strange Demise: ERMAHGERD I LURV RAMEN! Though on chilly days like now I'm more of a tea person. :P Thats really all i have now-adays :) READ ON!**

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I sprang off the couch as the stupid bird screeched and went batshit crazy, flying up and around, bumping into everything. Feathers were strewn across the floor and books had fallen out of my bookcase, and I had to duck multiple times so I wasn't hit.

"What the hell is your problem you stupid bird?!" I yelled over it's screeching, and tried in vain to grab it and hold it still, resulting and a couple more bloody scratches on my hands. Finally the blasted crow stayed by the door, furiously flying against it in a futile attempt to get out. "Keep doing that and you'll break your neck for sure." I hesitated as I reached for the doorknob, considering that maybe it was a better way to get rid of the bird, but ignored the thought. With a huff, I threw open the door and shooed the crow out.

"Get out you stupid bird, I've had enough of you pecking at me for one day!" I shouted as the crow flew out of the house, only to slam into the porch light and fall to the ground with a 'thump'. I groaned and rubbed my eyes. He was giving me a headache. The feathered nuisance recomposed itself before flying up and circling around, only to land on someone standing on the porch steps in front of me. Am I that blind? I froze in my little tantrum and starred at Death's large figure.

He didn't look any different, other than three gashes going down his torso and the fact that he was shivering slightly. His orange eyes behind his mask blazed brightly, and he didn't seem happy at all. If his eyes didn't indicate that then him clenching his fists did. Something was off though. It took me a while to realize just what was wrong, and when I DID realize it I wanted to smack my forehead from how slow I was. His breath was billowing out from under his mask in a cloud. That was it! He was actually breathing, which was something I hadn't seen him do, or at least heard. Maybe I just never noticed before when he was unconcious. But then ho-

"Are you just going to stand there and let us both freeze or are you going to let me in?" Death cut me from my thoughts, his voice rugged and low, probably from the cold.

I blinked and coughed in embarrassment before stepping to the side, "Uh, yes... Please, come in." His movements were hesitant as he walked in, almost like he was still contemplating whether he should leave again or not. I closed the door quietly and watched as he slowly when to stand near the fireplace, the crow still perched comfortably on his shoulder. I sent a glare at the crow, and he glared right back. Stupid bird...

"Why'd you come back?" I asked, truly curious as to why he was here. He certainly didn't seem to WANT to be back here. In fact, he seemed to be embarrassed. I couldn't blame him though, guys have big egos.

He didn't answer me for a while, just staring into the fire as his shivering subsided, "I... Am not myself.."

I blinked in confusion, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I do not bleed, I do not get cold in such minimal conditions, I do not need to breath," With every word his voice raise, and I took a self conscious step back and leaned against the wall. Though soon his voice became calm again. "There is something terribly wrong with this world that is changing me, and I will find out what. But until then, I require a place to stay."

I fought the urge to say 'face it you just don't want to freeze to death' and settled instead with, "You're welcome to stay here as long as your bloody bird stays out of my business. Are you hungry?"

"No," Was his only reply. I nodded and quickly started picking up the fallen books and other little trinkets that the crow knocked over in his episode.

"Blankets are over here in the cabinet by the bookshelf if you need. I'll be in my room. Don't eat the meat in the fridge, and knock before you use the bathroom in the back." I walked through the hallway and went to said bathroom. Foalen had woken up and took his post by the door as I turned on the shower. So, there was a guy in my house, whatever. I smelled gross and I really couldn't care less. If he saw me, he saw me.

As the water got warm, I quickly slipped in and washed myself as fast as I could. I happened to glance to the side while I was reaching for the soap and saw a black figure in the corner. Slowly, I looked out of the small shower and screamed, scaring Foalen half to death as well as Coda in the next room.

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Death sighed as the woman disappeared down the hall. Slowly, he lowered himself onto the couch and stiffened as it groaned under his weight. It would take a while to get used to things around here, that was for sure. He folded his hands and rested his chin while his arms rested on his knees. He was silently thinking to himself while staring into the fire. He didn't like the situation he was in, not one bit. There was no sign of getting back on his mission any time soon. The whole day he'd tried to find something, ANYTHING, that would give him some clue for a way back to Crowfather's snowy world, or any world he was familiar with for that matter. His magics werent working, and Despair couldn't get to another world by portal like usual.

In his search he had encountered a beast. It surprised him, erupting from the undergrowth with no warning and standing on it's hind legs before swatting him off his mount. It didn't take him long to scare the beast off, after realizing it was just a bear. He felt ashamed for being injured by such a small creature. Even now he felt a wave of humiliation as the three scratches on his abdomen stung.

Death sighed. The feeling was strange, breath going in and out of his body. He never needed to breath before, not having blood and all. Now, he could feel the strange beating of a heart in his chest and his lungs as they expanded with each breath. It wasn't normal, and he hated it. The sooner he was out of this world, the better.

The sound of rushing water reached his ears but he ignored it. Probably just the woman. An unfamiliar empty feeling invaded his gut and a strange growling noise emanated from it.

"What in damnation?" He grumbled to himself, and the sound repeated itself. He shook his head, dismissing whatever it was. He had a theory though.

Suddenly there was a scream, and by instinct, Death sprang up and held Harvester tightly in a defensive stance.

"DEATH! I'M GOING TO MURDER YOUR BIRD!" The woman shrieked, and Death relaxed in annoyance. What he didn't expect was the woman, only wearing a dark towel and soaking wet, to come stomping down the hallway holding Dust away from herself. The crow seemed to have an almost smug look on it's face, if that was even possible. Death took a step back to allow the pissed off female to walk past him and throw open the door.

"Get out you fucking pervert! I've had enough of you!" She yelled as she tossed the squawking bird out before slamming the door shut.

Death raised an eyebrow at her figure. Soap was still lingering in her hair and was dripping down onto the floor. Without her clothes, she was even skinnier than she let on. Not a sickly skinny, but still not healthy. But what really caught his attention was.. The scars. Short, thick scars littered every inch of her arms, legs, and what he could see of her back. As she turned around, he saw that the situation was the same, the scars stopping just below the collarbone. A dark purple, yellowing bruise was in the middle of her chest.

She was looking at him, her eyes narrowed. Death blinked as he realized he was staring and glanced away, putting away Harvester and tapped his fingers impatiently against his thigh while shifting his weight. All the signs of a man urgently wishing to be somewhere else. He looked back at her and growled as he looked at the scars again.

She snapped her fingers in front of his face, "Hey, my eyes are up here."

Death glared at her, "I understand the circumstances in this situation and that I am a stranger in your home, but I expect you to have respect when you speak to me."

The woman sighed, "You'll get my respect when you earn it."

The Nephilim growled in exasperation. This woman was grating on his nerves. He would gladly leave and stay out on his own were it not for the snow.

The woman began walking back down the hall, "It's Iris, by the way."

"What?"

"My name. It's Iris."

"Were you in battle?"

"In battle? Oh, I see. No these aren't from war, and the bruise is from you."

"What are they from then?"

"Stupid mistakes I made when I was younger."

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**Soooo, eh, eh? How was it? :P Questions are forming, things are being answered, and the plot is falling into place :) Im loving how this is going XD I cant believe we're already up to 9 chapters :D So, inbetween this an the Warriors fanfic im writing, i cant pay attention in class at all :D o 3o tee hee.. Love y'all :P**

**Question: What is your opinion of fake fireplaces?**

**Reviews are always welcome and I dont care what the hell they're about, just review XD **

**Review, Follow, and Fav :D Bye~**

**(OH, ps: Thanks Dandyman for spamming my gmail XD (im not being sarcastic, i swear :) ) I suddenly see all these messages that you followed and favorited me XD and im like ermageeeerrrdddd :D )**


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